Rider mower grass catcher

Abstract

A side cart mounted directly to one side of a tractor or rider lawn mowing blade housing deck. The side cart has an opening adjacent to the grass cutting discharge chute. Fastened to the bottom of the side cart is a steel sheet which is bent upwards at the front and rear. In one embodiment of the invention a hard plastic liner is pivotally installed in the side cart. The liner has a long handle attached thereto which permits the user to empty the side cart to the rear of the side cart without using a snow shovel.

1. A rider mower grass catcher, comprising in combination:
 a rider lawn mower having a front, rear, opposite sides, a top, and a bottom, said front and rear defining a rider lawn mower longitudinal axis, said rider lawn mower having a mower assembly attached to the rider lawn mower bottom longitudinally positioned between a set of forward wheels and a set of rearward wheels, said mower assembly having a housing deck covering a mower blade assembly, said housing deck having a front, a rear, a first opposite side, a second opposite side, a top, and a side grass discharge port extending from one of the housing deck sides past an adjacent rider lawn mower opposite side; and 
 a grass catcher, comprising:
 a side cart adapted to be positioned to one of the rider lawn mower opposite sides and attached to the mower assembly housing deck front, said side cart having an open front, rear panel, opposite side panels, bottom and open top, said side cart front and rear defining a side cart longitudinal axis, said side cart front, rear panel, opposite first and second side panels, bottom, and open top defining a side cart interior, said side cart first side panel having a top edge, said side cart second side panel having an opening extending from the side cart front a predetermined distance toward the side cart rear and extending from side cart bottom to top; 
 a lid pivotally attached to the side cart first side panel edge, said lid having a front edge, rear edge, hinged first edge, opposite second edge, an exterior surface and an interior surface, said front edge and rear edge defining a lid longitudinal axis, said hinged first edge being pivotally joined to the side cart first side top edge by means of a hinge. 
 
 
   
   
     2. A rider mower grass catcher as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a protective flap attached to the side cart bottom along said side cart second side panel opening; 
 a metal sheet attached externally to the side cart bottom, said metal sheet having a forward portion bent upwards past the side cart front, said metal sheet having a rearward portion which is bent upwards past the side cart rear. 
 
   
   
     3. A rider mower grass catcher as recited in  claim 2 , further comprising:
 an elongated mounting bar attached to the side cart bottom adjacent the side cart front, said mounting bar having an elongated body with a proximal end and a distal end, said proximal end and distal end defining a mounting bar longitudinal axis, said mounting bar body having a portion attached to the side cart bottom adjacent the side cart front, said mounting bar body proximal end being positioned toward the side cart first side, said mounting bar body having a plurality of apertures formed therein, said apertures adapted to receive a plurality of fasteners adapted to hold the mounting bar to the side car, said mounting bar body having a plurality of round apertures formed therein near to the bar distal end along the mounting bar longitudinal axis; 
 a mounting block fixedly attached to the mower deck front near to the mower deck first opposite side; 
 wherein the side cart is attached to the mower assembly housing deck by attaching the mounting bar to the mounting block. 
 
   
   
     4. A rider mower grass catcher as recited in  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a stabilizer rod assembly, comprising:
 a rod bracket attached to the side cart rear adjacent the side cart bottom; 
 a stabilizer rod having an elongated body with a rear end and a forward end, said rear end and forward end defining a stabilizer rod longitudinal axis, said stabilizer rod forward end being attached to said rod bracket; 
 a hollow stabilizer sleeve having a length which is a stabilizer rod length, said stabilizer sleeve being fitted over the stabilizer rod; 
 wherein said stabilizer rod rear end is slidably attached to a stabilizer mounting bracket attached to the rider lawn mower bottom, said stabilizer mounting bracket having an aperture through which the stabilizer rod rear end is inserted, said aperture having a diameter less than a stabilizer sleeve diameter. 
 
 
   
   
     5. A rider mower grass catcher as recited in  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a side cart liner having a front, a rear, a first side panel, a second side panel, a bottom, and an open top, said liner front and rear defining a liner longitudinal axis, said liner front, rear, first side panel, second side panel, bottom, and open top defining a liner interior, said liner second side panel having an opening extending from the liner front a predetermined distance toward the liner rear and extending from liner bottom to top, said liner rear having a pivot groove at the liner top, said side cart liner having an elongated handle rotatably attached to the liner front at the liner top, said handle extending to the liner rear; 
 a metal pivot rod attached adjacent the side cart rear and top extending from the first side to the second side; 
 wherein the side cart liner is adapted to fit into the side cart interior with the liner pivot groove engaged with the side cart pivot rod. 
 
   
   
     6. A rider mower grass catcher as recited in  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a canvass flap attached to the lid front edge. 
 
   
   
     7. A rider mower grass catcher as recited in  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a handle centrally attached to the lid exterior surface near to the lid second edge. 
 
   
   
     8. A rider mower grass catcher as recited in  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a protective metal flap attached to the side cart bottom along the second side opening. 
 
   
   
     9. A rider mower grass catcher as recited in  claim 8 , wherein:
 the metal sheet attached externally to the side cart bottom is comprised of galvanized steel. 
 
   
   
     10. A rider mower grass catcher as recited in  claim 9 , wherein:
 the mounting block has an “L” shape having a horizontal base through which a plurality of threaded bolts protrude vertically in an upward direction, said mounting block having a vertical section attached to said horizontal base, said vertical section having a plurality of threaded apertures formed therethrough, a portion of said plurality of threaded apertures having threaded fasteners threadingly inserted, said fasteners adapted to engage a plurality of corresponding apertures formed in the mower assembly housing deck front. 
 
   
   
     11. A rider mower grass catcher as recited in  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a mounting block bracket having a plurality of vertical clearance holes and one horizontal clearance hole, said bracket adapted to being fitted over the mounting block horizontal base threaded bolts by means of the plurality of vertical clearance holes; 
 a fastener inserted through the horizontal clearance hole, through a mounting block vertical section threaded aperture into a corresponding aperture in the mower assembly housing deck front; and 
 a plurality of nuts in threading engagement with each mounting block horizontal base threaded bolt. 
 
   
   
     12. A rider mower grass catcher as recited in  claim 11 , wherein:
 the mounting bar is attached to the mounting block by fitting the mounting bar distal end apertures over the mounting block horizontal base threaded bolts, each said nut threadingly engaged to said bolts over said distal bar end apertures; 
 wherein the mounting block bracket is installed over the threaded bolts and attached to the mounting block vertical section. 
 
   
   
     13. A rider mower grass catcher as recited in  claim 12 , wherein:
 said side cart liner is made from a hard plastic.